Locking device for sliding panels

ABSTRACT

A stationary interlock element mounted on a frame and a movable interlock element mounted on a door panel movable in said frame, each said interlock element having a hook portion which is disengageably engageable with the hook portion of the other, and an attachment plate mounted on the door panel with the movable interlock element slidably retained by it; each said stationary and movable interlock element and attachment plate being respectively of uniform cross-section throughout its length.

United States Patent [1 1 Rich [11 1 3,848,908 [4 1 Nov. 19, 1974 LOCKING DEVICE FOR SLIDING PANELS [75] Inventor: Harry M. Rich, Toronto, Ontario,

Canada [73] Assignee': Ram Partitions Limited, Ontario,

Canada [22] Filed: June 27, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 374,086

[52] US. Cl 292/189, 292/DIG'. 46, 49/449 [51] Int. Cl. E05c U114 [58] Field of Search 292/183-189,

292/144-154, DIG. 46, 87-89, 106, 136, 302; 49/449, 366

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 433,403 7/1890 Geoghegan 49/449 445,992 2/1891 Habliston 292/186 739,061 9/1903 Clausen 292/D1G. 46 2,940,790 6/1960 lngalls et al 49/366 X 3,021,163 2/1962 Hoffmann 49/449 X 3,050,322 8/1962 Miller 49/449 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 276,319 10/1913 Germany 292/145 Primary Examiner-Paul H. Gilliam Assistant Examiner-Peter A. Aschenbrenner [571 ABSTRACT 13 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Eg n f L T 1 LOCKING DEVICE FOR SLIDING PANELS The present invention relates to mechanism for re leasably interlocking a pair of cooperating closure members and, in particular, to mechanism installable between a door panel and its frame, for example, for releasably interlocking the door panel with the frame.

The invention as visualized in this embodiment is directed towards providing an interlock mechanism which essentially comprises three parts. One of these parts is constituted by a keeper fixed to the jamb of the door panel frame while the other two parts are mounted on the door panel itself and serve to cooperate with the keeper to unlock the door panel with respect to its frame.

More particularly, the invention visualizes that fundamentally, each of these three parts is respectively of uniform cross-section throughout its length enabling it to be formed economically by extrusion. Two of these parts have portions which are hook-like in crosssection and, being open-ended by virtue of their uniform cross-section aforesaid, are capable of being locked and unlocked by relative longitudinal movement in an endwise direction. That is to say, it is contemplated herein that one of these hooked parts may be fixed to the jamb of the door frame with its opposed open-ends disposed in vertical registration with each other to constitute the keeper aforesaid; the other hooked part being movably mounted on a face of the door panel near its leading edge to constitute a latch member whereby its hook-like portion slides vertically into and out of engagement with the hook-like portion of the keeper to lock and unlock the door panel relative to the jamb.

The third part of the interlock mechanism comprises an attachment plate with an elongated dovetail slot or equivalent opening on its face for receiving a mating bead projecting from the back of the sliding latch member; the sliding latch member being secured to the door panel by the engagement of its dovetail bead in the dovetail slot of the attachment plate which in turn is mounted to the door panel as aforesaid.

Since each of the three parts is of uniform crosssection enabling it to being formed by extrusion as aforesaid, it is further contemplated herein that each extruded part may be made in long lengths, (e.g., on the order of 30 ft. more of less). Thereafter, an interlock mechanism according to the invention can then be formed by simply cutting off portions of each of these three parts and assembling them together in the required fashion on a door panel and its frame to provide a means by which the door panel may be releasably locked to the frame as aforesaid.

Thus, it will be appreciated that the present invention provides an interlock mechanism which is relatively simple in nature, being comprised of three constituent parts each of uniform cross-section throughout its length and, hence, capable of being formed economically through extrusion, this being a main object of the invention.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an interlock mechanism as aforesaid which, by virtue of its unsophisticated structure, is easily assembled without the aid or with very little aid of special tools ordinarily necessitated in the assembly of other complex interlock mechanisms.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an interlock mechanism as aforesaid which employs a minimum of moving parts and thus is easily manipulable foreffecting the locking and unlocking of the associated door panel.

The foregoing and other unstated but obvious objects of the invention are achieved ,by the provision of a mechanism for releasably interlocking a pair of closure members comprising one, at least, which is movable between open and closed positions relative to the other; a stationary interlock element mountable on one of the closure members and a movable interlock element mountable on the other, each said interlock element having a hook portion which is disengageably engageable with the hook portion of the other when the movable closure member is in closed position relative to the other closure member to prevent movement thereoftowards its open position; an attachment plate; elongated mating formations on said attachment plate and on the movable interlock element permitting said movable interlock element to be retained on said attachment plate while sliding thereon in the direction of the length of said mating formations; said attachment plate being mountable on one of said closure members for mount ing said movable interlock element; each said stationary and movable interlock element and Pat. No. 4227601 said attachment plate being, respectively, of uniform cross-section throughout its length enabling it to be formed by extrusion.

Other objects of the invention more or less broad than the foregoing will be apparent from the following description of the elements, parts and principles consti tuting the invention and given herein solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts of the invention, and wherein;

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the interlock mechanism provided in a closure according to the invention; the mechanism interlocking a door panel in closed position to a jamb;

FIG. 2 is a front .elevational view of the interlock mechanism provided in a closure in which a doorpanel is unlocked and in open position;

. FIG. 3 is a top end view of the interlock mechanism taken along lines IIIIII in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 and 6 are perspective views of the latch being retained on the attachment plate, and

FIG.- 5 is a top end view of the structure of FIG. 6

mounted in a closure.

The presently preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated generally in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown therein, a mechanism M according to the invention is provided in a closure for releasably interlocking a pair of cooperating closure members i.e., a panel 2 movable between open and closed positions relative to a cooperating closure member, namely jamb 4; said mechanism M serving to releasably interlock said panel 2 to said jamb 4 when it is in closed position of FIG. I.

Said interlock mechanism M as shown includes a stationary interlock element and a movable interlock element respectively constituting keeper 6 and latch 8. In this embodiment said stationary keeper 6 is mounted on said jamb 4 with said latch 8 being mounted for movement on said panel 2.

The keeper 6 and latch 8 respectively include hook portions 10 and 12, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5;

each being disengageably engageable with the other when panel 2 is in its closed position to prevent the interlock elements from being pulled apart and thereby to releasably secure panel 2 to jamb 4. That is to say, it will be observed particularly from FIG. 3 that each of the hook portions and 12 is reversely oriented with respect to the other to provide the interlocking action between them when engaged as aforesaid.

in addition to the foregoing, said interlock mechanism M further includes an attachment plate 14 associated with said movable latch 8 and, hence, mounted on said panel 2 in this embodiment. More explicitly the invention visualizes elongated mating formations e.g., female and male dovetail formations 16 and 18 on said attachment plate 14 and on said movable latch 8 whereby the latch 8 is retainable on said attachment plate 14 while sliding thereon in the direction of the length of said elongated mating formations 16 and 18. The mating formations l6 and 18 on said attachment plate 14 and latch 8 are constituted by the elongated dovetail slot 16 on one of them slidably accommodating an elongated dovetail bead l8 projecting from the other.

Specifically, said dovetail slot 16 may be on said attachment plate 14 as shown in FIG. 4, for example, or alternatively, as shown in FlG. 6 the dovetail slot may be provided on the movable latch 8 as at 16 with the dovetail bead being formed on the attachment plate 14 as at 18.

It will be understood, of course, that whichever dovetail formation is on said latch 8, whether it be a head 18 or a slot 16', it will be trapped and retained in the mating dovetail formation on said attachment plate 14.

For example, in the case where said bead 18 is formed on said latch 8, it may be contained in said slot 16 on said attachment plate 14 by a pair of matching screws 20-20 which serve as obstructors in spaced apart relation in said slot 16 at opposite ends of the attachment plate 14.

Having regard to the foregoing, the invention further visualizes said keeper 6, latch 8 and attachment plate 14 as being respectively of uniform cross-section throughout its length as best shown in FIG. 3 thereby enabling each of them to be formed by extrusion as hereinbefore stated. In the result, itclearly follows that by virtue of its uniform cross-section each part of the mechanism described is therefore open at both ends permitting the relative longitudinal movement between the parts as aforesaid.

Accordingly, it will be understood that when the cooperating parts of said interlock mechanism M are mounted in a closure as illustrated in FIG. 1 said elongated mating formations 16, 18 and hook portions l0, 12 are dimensioned and proportioned to enable said hook portion 12 on said latch 8 to slide into and out of engagement with said hook portion 10 on keeper 6 as shown by the solid and dotted line positions, respecendwise direction; the third part comprising an attachment plate by which one of the hooked parts aforesaid is movably mounted on the closure for procuring the 'locking and unlocking aforesaid.

What I claim is: i

l. Mechanism for releasably interlocking a pair of closure members of which one, at least, is movable between open and closed positions relative to the other;

a stationary interlock element mountable on one of the closure members and a movable interlock ele ment having a hook portion which is'disengageably engageable with the hook portion of the other when the movable closure member is in closed position relative to the other closure member to prevent movement thereof towards its open position;

an attachment plate;

elongated mating formations on said attachment plate and on the movable interlock element permitting said movable interlock element to be retained on said attachment plate while sliding thereon in the direction of the length of said mating formations; said attachment plate being mountable on one of said closure members for mounting said movable interlock element;

each said stationary and movable interlock element and said attachment plate being, respectively. of uniform cross-section throughout its length enabling it to be formed by extrusion.

' 2. Mechanism as defined in-claim 1 wherein:

said elongated mating formations are comprised of dovetail formations.

3. Mechanism as defined in claim 2 wherein:

said dovetail formations on said attachment plate and movable interlock element are constituted by an elongated dovetail slot on one of them slidably accommodating an elongated dovetail bead projecting from the other; said elongated dovetail bead being releasably engageable and slidable in the dovetail slot in the direction of the length of said mating formations.

4. Mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein:

said dovetail slot is on said attachment plate and said dovetail bead is on said movable interlock element.

5. Mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein:

said dovetail slot is on said movable interlock element and said dovetail bead is on said attachment plate.

6. In a closure including a panel movable between open and closed positions relative to a cooperating closure member;

a pair of interlock elements respectively mounted on said panel and on said cooperating closure member, each said interlock element having a hook portion which is disengageably engageable with the hook portion on the other to releasably secure the panel to the cooperating closure member, at least one of said interlock elements being movable and the other being stationary;

an attachment plate associated with said movable interiock element;

elongated mating formations on said attachment plate and on said movable interlock element permitting said movable interlock element to be retained ;on said attachment plate while sliding thereon in the direction of the length of said mating formations; said attachment plate serving to mount said movable interlock element in the closure;

each said stationary and movable interlock element and said attachment plate being, respectively, of uniform cross-section throughout its length enabling it to be formed by extrusion.

7. A closure as defined in claim 6 wherein:

said elongated mating formations are comprised of dovetail formations.

8. A closure as defined in claim 7 wherein:

said dovetail formations on said attachment plate and movable interlock element are constituted by an elongated dovetail slot on one of them slidably accommodating an elongated dovetail bead projecting from the other; said dovetail bead being releasably engageable and slidable in the dovetail slot in the direction of the length of said mating formations.

9. A closure as defined in claim 8 wherein:

said dovetail slot is on said attachment plate and said dovetail bead is on said movable interlock element.

10. A closure as defined in claim 8 wherein:

said dovetail slot is on said movable interlock element and said dovetail bead is on said attachment plate.

11. A closure as defined in claim 6 wherein:

said elongated mating formations and hook portions are dimensioned and proportioned to enable the hook portion on said movable interlock element to slide into and out of engagement with the hook portion on said stationary interlock element.

12. A closure as defined in claim 9 wherein:

said dovetail bead on said movable interlock element is trapped in said dovetail slot on said attachment plate.

13. A closure as defined in claim 10 wherein:

said dovetail slot on said movable interlock element is trapped on said dovetail bead on said attachment plate. 

1. Mechanism for releasably interlocking a pair of closure members of which one, at least, is movable between open and closed positions relative to the other; a stationary interlock element mountable on one of the closure members and a movable interlock element having a hook portion which is disengageably engageable with the hook portion of the other when the movable closure member is in closed position relative to the other closure member to prevent movement thereof towards its open position; an attachment plate; elongated mating formations on said attachment plate and on the movable interlock elemenT permitting said movable interlock element to be retained on said attachment plate while sliding thereon in the direction of the length of said mating formations; said attachment plate being mountable on one of said closure members for mounting said movable interlock element; each said stationary and movable interlock element and said attachment plate being, respectively, of uniform cross-section throughout its length enabling it to be formed by extrusion.
 2. Mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein: said elongated mating formations are comprised of dovetail formations.
 3. Mechanism as defined in claim 2 wherein: said dovetail formations on said attachment plate and movable interlock element are constituted by an elongated dovetail slot on one of them slidably accommodating an elongated dovetail bead projecting from the other; said elongated dovetail bead being releasably engageable and slidable in the dovetail slot in the direction of the length of said mating formations.
 4. Mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein: said dovetail slot is on said attachment plate and said dovetail bead is on said movable interlock element.
 5. Mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein: said dovetail slot is on said movable interlock element and said dovetail bead is on said attachment plate.
 6. In a closure including a panel movable between open and closed positions relative to a cooperating closure member; a pair of interlock elements respectively mounted on said panel and on said cooperating closure member, each said interlock element having a hook portion which is disengageably engageable with the hook portion on the other to releasably secure the panel to the cooperating closure member, at least one of said interlock elements being movable and the other being stationary; an attachment plate associated with said movable interlock element; elongated mating formations on said attachment plate and on said movable interlock element permitting said movable interlock element to be retained on said attachment plate while sliding thereon in the direction of the length of said mating formations; said attachment plate serving to mount said movable interlock element in the closure; each said stationary and movable interlock element and said attachment plate being, respectively, of uniform cross-section throughout its length enabling it to be formed by extrusion.
 7. A closure as defined in claim 6 wherein: said elongated mating formations are comprised of dovetail formations.
 8. A closure as defined in claim 7 wherein: said dovetail formations on said attachment plate and movable interlock element are constituted by an elongated dovetail slot on one of them slidably accommodating an elongated dovetail bead projecting from the other; said dovetail bead being releasably engageable and slidable in the dovetail slot in the direction of the length of said mating formations.
 9. A closure as defined in claim 8 wherein: said dovetail slot is on said attachment plate and said dovetail bead is on said movable interlock element.
 10. A closure as defined in claim 8 wherein: said dovetail slot is on said movable interlock element and said dovetail bead is on said attachment plate.
 11. A closure as defined in claim 6 wherein: said elongated mating formations and hook portions are dimensioned and proportioned to enable the hook portion on said movable interlock element to slide into and out of engagement with the hook portion on said stationary interlock element.
 12. A closure as defined in claim 9 wherein: said dovetail bead on said movable interlock element is trapped in said dovetail slot on said attachment plate.
 13. A closure as defined in claim 10 wherein: said dovetail slot on said movable interlock element is trapped on said dovetail bead on said attachment plate. 